


A Guide to Survival: Remnant

by Vaaxius



Category: RWBY
Genre: Anti-Faunus Racism (RWBY), Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Descent into madness/villainy for a bit, Feedback needed/wanted, Gen, I'm Bad At Tagging, Maybe Redemption, My First Fanfic, No beta yet, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV First Person, POV Third Person, Probably gonna be a hot mess, Remnant (RWBY) is not a nice place, Self-Insert(ish) OC, Tags May Change, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26632096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vaaxius/pseuds/Vaaxius
Summary: Lightning never strikes twice, especially with people. All it took was one hit, and a single soul was severed from their body. With reincarnation as their option, they pray for a better life this time around..Instead, they are reborn on Remnant with fragmented memories and knowledge they shouldn’t have. With madness and darkness encroaching, they find themselves slipping. But will they be able to return to the light after falling so far.
Kudos: 1





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic and being written after seeing most self insert fanfics be.. Well.. Be power fantasies where everything goes well for the overpowered characters. This will not be fun, this will not be happy, the main character is gonna be suffering, and I'll be trying to sound like I know what I'm doing. 
> 
> This is the prologue, covering death and stuff, so it won't really be too heavy focused on RWBY itself until the first true chapter. Feedback is appreciated and asked for, so sit back and try to not cringe at my poor writing
> 
> Prologue is first person, rest will be third

It was a rather bleak day in Houston. Rain pouring outside, frigid temperature and harsh winds all combined to make the metropolis a depressive sight to look out to. Most stayed indoors, or huddled around tables under porch roofs, and many were working..

“Crawfish, three pounds, potatoes and corn!”

I was shaken out of my musing as the ticket order was called out by the head chef, moving to grab the strainer from on top of the boiling pot and moving to scoop the cooked shellfish into a metal bowl, weighing it before grabbing the tongs and plucking a cob of corn and a red potato out of the boiling water, all while cursing under my breath as I bumped my elbow against the scalding hot pans. With a scoop of butter and Louisiana seasoning added, I tossed the crawfish in the bowl for a few seconds to mix it all up before setting it up to be grabbed by the server and taken to the numbered table on the ticket.

This was a usual Sunday, with the crawfish season being around this time of year. My boss was supposed to be cooking outside, but the storm had hit without any warning and made that impossible. So now I was preparing the bowls, my nose stuffy from the spicy boil. Eventually the stream of tickets died down as customers moved to simply drinking as they talked amidst their mounds of Sewer Lobsters (I misspoke once, and it stuck since then). I was moved back to chopping up brussel sprouts for the truffle fried sprouts, then bagging fries in ready to use portions for the next day. It was a rather dull affair, with nothing much to do beyond chopping and mixing things since I was prep chef.

Around 11PM, closing time for the kitchen rolled around. Grabbing some bleach and degreaser, I went to work on cleaning up the floors that were now covered in smushed foodstuff and spilled ingredients. It was my least favorite part of the job, but I was still learning. Those Culinary classes were expensive, and working in an actual kitchen was better than the clean and orderly ones at the Art Institute, seeing as this is what I would usually see. Once done with the floors, I moved onto scrubbing the dishes, humming a small tune to myself, Miracle from RWBY. I had recently gotten back into it, and even made a character..

Finally, I was done with all the cleanup around 12:05. Cleaning up, I clocked out and walked out into the storm. Rain quickly soaked me before I could get my umbrella open, blond hair covering my eyes as I shoved it aside with a grumble. Flashes could be heard, then thunderclaps filled the air and shook windows with their strength. Ignoring it, I kept walking as I hummed along to the end of the song… Before I knew it, I felt searing pain and all went black..

______________________________________________________________________

Groaning, I blinked my eyes a few times as I sat up in a rather comfy chair. My memories felt jumbled and frayed at the ends, blurry and tangled. I remembered finishing my shift, grabbing my stuff.. Opening my metal tipped umbrella and-

“No.. You have got to be.. No! Why? This can’t be happening?! What did I do-. Ugh, this is the afterlife, isn’t it? And with my luck, it’s probably a-”

_“Bureaucratic nightmare, a mess of red tape and regulation? Trust me, hon, I feel the same way. And I’ve been here since the Bubonic Plague.”_

I look up to see a woman wearing a mask modeled after the skull of a deer, ethereal blue eyes boring holes into my soul as I finally notice the area around me.. It looked like an office room, with the Deer woman wearing a suit and holding a file, a picture of her and a man with a wolf skull on the desk she was behind.

“... Are you-”

_“I’m not the Grim Reaper, I’m just a reaper. Granted, a higher ranking one, but still serving under the one who presides over death by weather. Seeing as how you were struck by lightning, your case is being reserved by me. And based on your belief alignment leaning towards buddhism and paganism, you’ve been marked for reincarnation, which I often handle.”_

I stared for a few seconds, stunned by half the things she said.. The afterlife was real, and they apparently sorted where you went based on what beliefs you held closest to you. Granted, I would be a horrible buddhist, with paganism only being given a glance from time to time, I still liked the idea of living another life.

“.. And what do you mean by case? Do you look at significant actions I’ve taken throughout the past?”

_“Exactly. I review what you’ve done and use it to see what you’ll qualify for. Hell does exist, but it’s more of a rehabilitation camp than actual torment. And you can’t reincarnate as anything other than a human, so don’t worry about walking up as a chicken. Based on what I’ve read..”_

She puts the files down and pulls out a rather large tablet, looking more like it’s made out of stone than any actual material. Typing up, Deer woman tilts her head and lets out a creepy sounding hum as she puts it down.

 _“Hm. You haven’t done anything truly good or evil throughout your life. You’ve broken things, yes, but you’ve also shown empathy just as much, if not more. You’re.. Mediocre, to be honest. No sins demanding punishment, yet no deeds demanding praise. So I will offer a few options.. Earth, Nirn, Remnant, The Citadel, and-”_  
Before she could finish listening off options, I interrupted her with a started gasp.

“Y.. You’re saying I can be reborn in fictional worlds?!”

Saying that earns me a glare that was even more chilling than before, her tone switching to quiet and slow.

_“They are merely worlds that people have seen and put to paper in your reality. Please don't interrupt me again, mote, it's hard enough sorting through files without you gawking like a fish.”_

I nod quickly as I shut up, a primordial sense of fear filling my being. She gives me an exasperated look, before continuing.

_“There’s plenty of other options too, but I picked the ones that your life showed you might enjoy the most.. Granted, you won’t remember your past, but it’s still part of the process.”_

Knowing what could await me in all of the universes I enjoyed, I rub my eyes as I silently curse my love for space operas and fantasy worlds. Well, if I was going to pick the least impactful one that was still close enough to the modern day..

“I would like.. Remnant, if that’s possible.”

She gave me a bemused gaze, before nodding and typing a few buttons onto the slate she had in front of her. A ding was soon heard from it, before a smaller man with a cat skull walked in while holding a syringe containing an odd blue fluid.

_“Agent Wyrn will administer the dosage to move your soul onwards, be careful to stay still. If done improperly, your essence runs the risk of fraying and making your next life far harder.”_

Deer woman, or ‘Agent Kris’ based on her nametag I just noticed, said as the cat skulled man walked over, wiping an alcohol wipe on my neck, I held back a quiet whimper before he pushed it in.. Then, for the second time that day, everything went black.

……..

**"Kris? I just noticed that this serum isn't labeled with the clean slate verification."**   
_".... Are you fucking with me?"_

___________________________


	2. Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eyes opened, memories fragmented, a girl wakes up and muses over another odd dream. But fate does not care for the idle wonder of man, and her Rebirth will not be kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the actual chapter 1, written and in a somewhat presentable form. Checking for grammar by myself and I, and written. Again, please leave a comment if you can, knowing what I can improve upon will go a long way

Her eyes opened slowly, staring at the nightlight in the outlet next to her bed, watching the light seemingly flicker as another brownout caused power fluctuations across the southwest section of Mantle. Another of those dreams, of names and people that made no sense.. A world without Faunus? Without Dust? Weirder and weirder.. 

Tapping her fangs, she sighed as she heard her parents watching TV in the living room. Grownups always got to stay up later, and she heard daddy come home from work. Why did she have to stay in bed while mommy got to see him. When she is a grown up, she’ll stay up all night! She was only 8, but it was close enough!

But daddy did say that good girls listen to their parents, even if it doesn’t make sense at the time.. She remembered when he came home with a burnt face and skin covered in ash, and mommy and daddy wouldn’t stop crying.. She made sure to stay asleep, even when she wanted to go out there and hug them.. Later, he told her that the mine had an accident and her friend’s mom wouldn’t be able to bake cookies anymore.. He thought she didn’t understand, but she did..

She never understood why, but she always knew what happened when he came home with that look.. Even when she was 5, she knew what death meant. They tried to shield from it, but she always sensed a soul depart when it happened. She never knew why, but it felt.. Right? No, natural.. Plants wilted, animals went to sleep, people passed.. She disliked it, but it was how life worked.. Bleh, only grownups thought about stuff like that.

Laying back down, she closed her eyes and slowly returned to sleep.. Dreams of shattered pasts filtering through her mind..

________________________________________________________________

“Now then, Jade, can you explain to me one of the causes leading up to the Great War?” The teacher, Ms. Azurite asked, her eyes focused on the daydreaming snake faunus in the back. 

Having recently hit puberty, she had grown to a small-but-respectable size of 5’4, with a head of thin black hair that usually got in the way of her bright green eyes, her larger than average fangs causing a overbite that made a slightly pudgy face look more threatening that it usually was. Wearing the school outfit of a button-up shirt, a dress jacket, dress pants, and brown loafers, she didn’t stand out much..

Without seeming to turn her eyes towards the teacher, she casually replied, “After a devastating Grimm attack, the Kingdom of Mantle came to the conclusion that by banishing any form of self expression, that the Grimm would be unable to find negative emotions and move on, thereby saving more lives. Mistral complied with their ideals to avoid losing their ally.”   
Jade said with a detached interest, her eyes looking past the windows and into the more open part of the school.. Despite being an inner city district, it had some of the better education in Mantle by merit of being in a more human dominant area. Her mind was focused on that familiar sensation, one that her 15 year old mind was all too used to.. Yet it felt.. Wrong, this time..

“I am glad that you know how to recite the textbook, young lady, but it is imperative that you pay attention in class.” Ms. Azurite sternly lectured her, arms crossed across her white blouse. Blue hair made her easier to spot that most and easy to identify, while she looked over the class. Most of them were humans, with a few having been Faunus who tested well and were transferred to this school. 

Before either could reply, one of the other students spoke up, “What can you expect, Ms. Azurite? You’re expecting a reptile to pay attention, she’s too busy thinking about that mice in the basement-” Before he could finish, a swat upside the head from a nearby student silenced him, a finger to her lips as she silently told him to shut up. Getting the memo once, he huffed and ignored both of them.

“Mr. Woodhart and Ms. Smith, I do not tolerate such tomfoolery in my classroom. I will speak to the both of you after the bell. Now, Ms. Lightfoot, I ask that you pay attention in class from now on, or I shall be having a conversation with your parents. Ms. Azurite finished with a frown, right as a knock was heard on her door. 

Walking over to open it, she found a police officer standing there, hat held in his hands to show his raccoon ears, coughing to clear his throat

“Ma’am, I’m sorry to bother you, but.. I need Jade Lightfoot to come with me, it’s important.” His tone, while cordial, was heavy with regret. Almost like she herself knew, Ms. Azurite nodded and gestured to Jade to follow him out. Getting out of her seat, she moved to the side as one of the humans tried to trip her for no reason other than to be cruel, making it to the door and following his lead down the hall.

“It’s about your parents, they-.” He started to talk, but found himself cut off by a quiet voice, resigned and distant.

“Mine collapse? Grimm attack?” She said quickly, the sensation she felt now feeling worse, like a knife twisted into her side.

“The miners dug into a chamber of a previously unknown cavern, which housed a Petra Geist.. They.. Collapsed one of the routes on themselves to buy Huntsmen response teams time.” He finished, disturbed by how she was handling the news. Most cried, others raged, a few shut down.. But she looked almost.. Uncaring? No, she was deeply affected, yet she accepted it.

“... Death did not get them easily.. I.. Thank you, officer.. I need to..” She took a deep breath and went to her locker, grabbing her backpack and hoisting it over her shoulder. She needed to be by herself, needed to process.. Find out more..

“Ma’am, I need to escort you home.” He said, but almost like smoke, she was gone.

______________________________________________________________________

Jade wiped the mud from her face, kneeled in an alley as she sat curled up, tears streaming as she processed the news. A mining collapse killed them, that’s what the police and reporters said, but she knew better.. She remembers hearing her parents talk about how little the guards were around, or how they were struggling with inadequate supplies.. They died in an accident, but they were killed by the owners, killed by Schnee Dust Corporation.. She couldn’t stand to be here, she needed to leave…

Picking her discarded backpack up, she made her way to her family’s apartment.. She had to find the one group who seemed to care to snub their nose at them. 

The White Fang.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fate has cruel ways of placing someone on their destined path, as Jade will soon learn

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the third chapter of my first fanfic, some of this is probably a bit janky. The prologue had a first person perspective due to the character not being as important, with it being used to explain the future knowledge Jade will have. I plan for this story to have her fall far from grace before eventually rising again. Reviews and feedback are always appreciated.
> 
> Shorter than last two chapters, currently on the road to celebrate a family member's birthday

Eyes looked back and forth between a laptop screen and a TV, idly watching an oddly familiar show in between waves in an unknown game. A girl in red fought Grimm with her scythe blurring between them, petals falling to the ground. A trigger pulled-

Jade jolted away, eyes blinking as she was thrown off by the oddly realistic dream. Why had she dreamt of such a thing, when she hadn't in so long. Why did that girl look familiar, it didn't feel right.. She had no time to muse over it, her scroll alarm beeping. 6 AM, the airship departing for the outskirts of Mistrial would be leaving shortly, and she needed to get there in time.

The night before, she had grabbed as many things from the apartment as she thought needed, even the Beowolf plushie she's had since she was 9. Lien, packages of non perishable food, even a kitchen knife in case someone tried hurting her. Not much against a Grimm, but that's why she was going to Mistral. Find the nearest White Fang recruiter and have them get her to their nearest camp. From what she's read, Ghira Belladonna had recently stepped down and been replaced by one Sienna Khan, who has recently lead an campaign of firebombing up in Atlas against Schee affiliated stores.. 

Making her way out the door and onto the streets of Mantle, she adjusted her backpack and walked to the airport, a ticket in her pocket.. It was just a half a mile away, ea-

A rock was thrown into the side of her head, causing her to fall to the ground in pain. Clutching the impact area, she felt blood already flowing from the split skin.

"Oi, ya faunus brat! What are ye doin' out here?! Walkin' like you own the place!"

Jade could make it two men through her blurred vision, both seeming to be factory workers, yet they looked so hateful.. Why…

"Are you daft, lass?! Answer him, now!" The one to the left spoke, brown hair and hazel eyes looking down at her in disgust.

"I-I was going to the airport.. W-Why d-" She was cut off by the one to the right kicking her in the side, causing her to let out a breathless gasp of pain.

"Ta flee, huh?! Tryna get back to your White Fang friends?! 'ou animals need to learn RESPECT!"

Another kick impacted Jade's leg, stars filling her vision from the pain, almost blinding her. She wasn't used to this, why would they do this.. Why..

"My niece is dead cuz of your kind! She was only 19! DEAD BECAUSE YOU GRIMMSPAWN AIN'T HAPPY TO BE ALIVE!"

She soon lost any ability to respond, her body unused to such agony, it felt.. Wrong.. She didn't do anything. Couldn't think, couldn't breathe..

Eventually, Jade registered a lack of impacts upon her bloody and bruised body, blood leaking out of her mouth as she felt.. Stronger? W-Why..

"It is in passion that we find our truest selves. Through strife, we become revenants that inflict the same pain on our oppressors. Unbound by fetters and infinite in retribution. I unleash your soul, and by my shoulder aid thee."

Flickering shadows of green danced across her eyes, before they eventually opened to see a younger faunus kneeling down next to her, his eyes covered by a mask and bull horns proudly displayed, while an older woman carrying a whip with her own tiger ears out in the open.

"Good work, Adam, but she's still not in the clear. We need to get to the safe house.." The older woman spoke, before moving to pick her up with an ease unexpected by most..

The younger faunus, Adam as she heard the woman say, nodded and wiped a sword free of a sanguine fluid.  
"Understood, ma'am.."

As they carried Jade away, the last thing she saw before darkness took her was that of the humans who assaulted her, cut open like pigs… They deserved it.. They all did..


End file.
